Folding bunk construction



s. D. PARSONS 3,134,109

May 26, 1964 FOLDING BUNK CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 26, 1961 /N VEN TOR.

12 1 54mm 0 PARsa/va 7 BY W 4TTORNEK v v v v 5 54 58 J? 5'4 52 y 26, 1964 s. D. PARSONS 3,134,109

FOLDING BUNK CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 26, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 //VVENTOR. JflMM) D. PARSONS 147' T GRNE X y 26, 1954 s. D. PARSONS FOLDING BUNK CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 26, 1961 ATTOR/VEK United States Patent O 3,134,109 FOLDING BUNK CONSTRUCTION Sammy D. Parsons, 1428 Nth St. Place, West Des Moines, Iowa Filed Dec. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 162,161 4 Claims. (Cl. S--%) This invention relates to improvements in folding bunk bed construction and includes novel features by which the bunks are adaptable for multipurpose uses.

Folding beds or bunks have long been a recognized expedient in areas where floor space is limited such as in cabins, dormitories, boats, railway cars, etc., and usually where such bed construction has been employed, it has involved one or more relatively substantial bed units movable to and from a position of use whereby when not in use, it served no purpose other than not occupying floor space that could be used for other purposes. This would appear to be true since places where folding beds have heretofore been customarily used are only temporarily occupied in that the occupants are not necessarily restricted or con-fined thereto and such rooms can contain other articles of furniture or the like that can be moved about when the beds are in use. Currently, however, a new type of emergency living quarters is emerging in the form of fallout and/or bomb-shelter construction and such shelters as they are contemplated, and in many cases already built, will be and are substantially limited in space relative to the number of anticipated occupants. These shelters also differ from other restricted areas mentioned above in that if their use is ever required for their intended purpose, they will, in all probability, be occupied for a relatively long period of time and by a greater number of persons than would normally occupy similar space for the same time under other conditions. In addition, the shelter occupancy will be of a confining nature for extended periods of uncertain duration so that versatility or equipment and furnishings is highly desirable for the convenience and comfort of those concerned.

With these observations in mind, there is provided, according to the present invention, a bunk assembly including a plurality of individual bunks or beds arranged in a vertically spaced or tiered relationship which are easily movable from a position of use to a stored position substantially flat against a vertical support such as a wall or the like, and vice versa, and which include means whereby such beds are separately removable from the tiered assembly, without requiring any tools, so that they may be utilized for other purposes such as tables and seating.

Another object herein contemplates the provision of an improved locking means susceptible of both adequately securing my bunk assembly in stored position and assur ing rigidity of support when the bunks are used for purposes other than sleeping.

A further feature of this invention resides in the provision of a novel bunk assembly structure wherein one or more of the individual bunks can be removed from the tiered assembly without affecting the ability of the remaining bunks to be secured in stored position so as to make possible the separate use of a selective number of bunks.

Other objects herein include the provision of a bunk construction as characterized which is extremely economical to manufacture, durable in structure, highly efiicient for its intended use, adaptable to multi-purpose uses, and designed for easy and convenient attachment to the standard spacing of studding present in home wall construction.

Further objects and the more obvious advantages of ice the invention will be mentioned or else appear plainly from the description which follows.

This invention consists of novel parts and combination of parts to be hereinafter described whereby the objects set forth are attained, as pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of my bunk assembly opened to a position for use as beds,

PIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the structure in FIG. 1 but showing the same in folded or stored position,

FIG. 3 is an end view of the folded bunk assembly shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a reduced perspective view illustrating part of the bunk beds in a stored position and part positioned for use other than sleeping,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the auxiliary seat shown on the lower bed-(at the right) in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevational view taken from the line 66 of 'FIG. 4 to illustrate one of the locking pin like assemblies employed on the leg units of certain of the individual bed-s,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken from the line 77 of FIG. 1 to illustrate the structure of one of the like locking pin assemblies,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of the locking pin assembly taken from the line 88- of FIG. 3 and is partly in section to more clearly illustrate the construction thereof, and,

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view taken from the line 99 of FIG. 1 to show the locking means for preventing accidental displacement of this bunk assembly from its supporting structure.

Referring to the drawings a pair of vertical support members or stanchions 12 and 14 are employed preferably in the form of angle irons having the respective faces 16 and 18, and 20 and 22. 'Faces 16 and 20 are designed to abut a vertical wall 24 and are provided with the respective vertically spaced holes 26 and '28 through which suitable fastening means such as bolts or screws 30 are used for securing members 12 and 14 to wall 24. Since wall studding (not shown) at sixteen inches is more or less standard in wall construction, and twenty four inch centers, particularly in older construction, is often encountered, I have spaced members 12 and 14 at forty eight inches relative to center of holes 26 and 28 so that members 12 and 14 can be secured to wall 24 as conveniently as possible. The faces 18 and 22 of member 12 and 14- project perpendicularly from wall 24, and from faces 16 and 2t), and are provided with the respective vertically spaced bayonet type notches 34 and 32 which communicate with the rmpective projected free edge of such faces. In this respect it will be noted that the bottom edge 36 of notch 34 is on a radius and on a lower plane than the point of communication with the free face edge represented at the point of the arrowhead for the reference line 34 and notch 32 though not shown in this respect is similarly constructed.

Referring now to my bunk bed assembly indicated generally by the numeral 41 in FIGS. 1 and 2, I have preferably shown four beds 42, 4 4, 46 and 48 in a tiered relationship to illustrate this invention, and it will be understood that additional beds may be used, if space permits, without departing from the principles hereinafter disclosed. Basically the bed structure is the same for all beds and thus like numerals will be used for like parts, and variations in certain parts relative to the different beds will be separately described and numbered.

The beds 42, 44, 46 and 48 each include an elongated rectangular frame 5h preferably formed from suitable light weight but strong tubular material, and disposed within the confines of each frame 56 is a suitable canvas support 52 attached to the frame by lacings 54. This, as will be apparent, provides an adequate bed or cot for the purposes intended and no invention is claimed in such structure per se. For purpose of further description, that part of the frame 50 which is adjacent the wall 24 and stanchions 12 and 14 will be referred to as the inner frame side to distinguish it from the oppositely disposed outer frame side that would project into a room when assembly 49 is opened for use as shown in FIG. 1.

On the outer frame side of each of the beds, there is provided the rotatable collar or sleeve 56 which is shown enlarged and in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. These collars as seen in FIG. 1 are rather widely spaced apart on each frame 50 so that one is relatively near each end of the frame, and at the respective ends of the several frames they are in vertical alignment. To maintain these collars or sleeves 56 in vertical alignment, a washer-like stop member 58 is placed on the outer frame at each end of collar 56 and is secured to the frame i) by a set screw 60. A leg member 62 depends from each collar 56 and may be either integral therewith or welded thereto. Preferably I have made leg 62 on the lower bunk '42 somewhat shorter than the legs 62 on the upper bunks, as will be referred to later, but this is not necessarily required. Also secured to or integral with each collar 56 except on the upper bunk '48, is a stub socket forming member '64 which extends upwardly in axial alignment with the legs 62, and each member 64 is designed for a removable slip fit connection with the depending leg 62 immediately above. For this purpose I preferably use tubular material for legs 62 and 64 although it will be appreciated that bar material can be used if desired. Legs 62 on the lower bunk 42 are designed to rest on the floor of the room and the inner frame side of each bed is rotatably nested in the bottom edges 36 and 38 of appropriate notches 32 and 34 respectively in the supports 12 and 14. Thus far described, a sturdy multi-bed tiered structure is provided as seen in FIG. 1 and when the several legs 62 are interlocked with the members 6-4 as described, the entire assembly is in effect a unitary structure.

To prevent any accidental displacement of this bunk assembly from the supports 12 and 14, I have provided the locking mean-s 66' shown in detail in FIG. 9. Lock means 66 includes a bar member 68 secured at one end by a bolt 70' to the respective faces 18 and 20 of members 12 and 14 and which extends downwardly into the respective notches 32 and 3:4 to terminate in a concave edge 72 directly over or in light contact with frame 50. In this way edge 72 prevents any movement of frame 59 out of either of notches 32 or 34 and is so positioned that it does not interfere with rotation of the inner frame side within such notches as Will later appear. Locking means 66 has been applied to only one bed unit of the multi-bed assembly, as shown with bed 46 in FIG. 1, and it will be appreciated that with all of the beds effectively locked into a unitary structure by the leg and socket arrangement described, it is sufficient to lock only one bed frame relative to the stanchions 12 and 14.

Under certain conditions as will later be referred to in more detail it is necessary to hold certain of the collars or sleeves 56 and the corresponding frame 50 against relative rotation and for this purpose I have used a locking pin assembly designated generally by the numeral '74 and shown more particularly in FIG. 7. Assembly 74 comprises an elongated tapered locking pin 76 secured to one end of a short length of link chain or the like '78. The other end of chain 78 is secured to a combination pin holder and clip 80 which includes a portion 82 for a frictional snap lit to leg 62 and a sleeve portion 84 for storing the pin 76 at times as shown in the broken lines of FIG. 7. Each collar 56 which carries a locking pin 76 is provided with oppositely disposed holes 86 and the corresponding frame 50 is similarly provided with the 4- holes 88. With holes 86 and 88 in register, pin 76 can be inserted as shown in FIG. 7 to effectively lock members 56 and E9 against relative rotation.

Thus far described, the tiered assembly shown in open position in FIG. 1 is movable to the closed or folded position of FIG. 2 by manually grasping the outer frame side of the lowermost bunk 42 and lifting it upwardly. This causes the several inner frame sides to rotate in the respective notches 32 and 34 and the several collars or sleeves 56 to rotate relative to their respective outer frame side. With the entire assembly in folded position, the locking pins 76 on any one or all of the bunks 42, 44 or 48 can be inserted as described and shown in FIG. 7, and the entire assembly is effectively locked in its folded position. It will be apparent that since the several bunk frames are interlocked by legs 62 engaged in the sockets 64, and since collars 56 must rotate for the bunks to be moved to open position, that the effective locking of one set of legs against relative rotation with the bunk frame to which it is attached will effectively 'lock the entire assembly. For this purpose I have preferably used the locking pin assembly 74 on bunk '44 to maintain the folded position of all of the bunks since it is contemplated, as will later appear, that bunks '44 and 46 will be used only for bunk purposes and this also explains the reason for selecting the notches 32 and 34 relative to bunk 46 for carrying the locking means 66 seen in FIG. 9. To return the bunks to open position it is only necessary to remove whatever pins 76' have been inserted and permit the assembly to move downwardly until the legs 62 on bunk 42 are resting on the floor. In raising or lowering the entire assembly as disclosed, only the lower bun-k frame should be grasped to avoid displacing the legs 62 on the upper bunks from sockets 64.

As pointed out in the objects herein, it is contemplated that one or more of the bunk beds be susceptible of multipurpose uses and in this regard the lower bunk 42 and the upper bunk 48 may be used in a combined table and seating arrangement or separately for such purposes as follows. The top bunk 48 is easily removed from its tiered position merely by disengaging the inner frame side from notches 32 and 34 and lifting legs 62 free of engagement with the sockets 64 on bunk 46. It can then be placed independently on the floor (FIG. 4) for use as a table or any other purpose. In such a position, legs 62 are locked against rotation on the bunk frame by use of the pin assembly 74, and on the inner frame side I have provided a pair of spaced depending integral socket type leg supports 90 and 92 (FIG. 6) for removably receiving the respective legs 94 and 96; such legs being of appropriate length relative to legs 62 to support bunk 48 as shown in FIG. 4. Each leg support 90 and 92 carries a lock pin means 98 of the same type as lock means 74 shown in FIG. 7 and like parts are given like numerals primed. Suitable holes in the respective members 90 and 92 are provided to register with transverse holes in one end of the respective legs 94 and 96 and pin 76 is inserted through such holes in a well known manner so that legs 94 and 96 will not become accidentally displaced if bunk 48 is moved or lifted about.

Members 90 and 92 also serve another important function in addition to supporting legs 94 and 96, and in this regard it will be noted (FIG. 2) that their spacing on the inner frame side of bunk 48 is such that each one abuts the inner side of one of the respective faces 18 and 22 of supports 12 and 14. By this arrangement any lateral movement of the tiered assembly as viewed in FIGS. 1 or 2, or in other words any movement of the bunk frames transversely of the longitudinal axis of members 12 and 14 is prevented since faces 18 and 22 serve as limiting stop members for any lateral travel of members 90 and '92. Thus with the bunks interlocked as described above,

With bunk 48 removed from the tiered unit as indicated, or even without it removed, the lowermost bunk 42 may also be used separately. For this purpose the outer frame side of bunk 44, next above bunk 42, is manually grasped and moved upwardly in the same manner as previously referred to in relation to bunk 42. In this way all bunks above bunk 42 can be moved to folded position and effectively locked in that position by use of pin assembly 74 or bunk 44. When this arrangement is used, legs 62 on bunk 44 merely slide free of sockets 64 on bunk 42 and such sockets are then utilized to receive and support the respective stub legs 98 and 100 secured in depending spaced relationship from suitable plates 102 and 104 which in turn are secured to the underside of an elongated fiat seat 106. This provides a seat structure more rigid than the support 52 in frame 42, if desired, and if the upper bunk 48 is also removed, a seat and table arrangement is available as illustrated in FIG. 4. To add the rigidity of a table top to bunk 48, a rectangular piece of thin plywood or the like 108 may be placed upon bunk frame 48.

The underside central portion of seat 106 carries a pair of spaced clip members 110 and 112 (FIG. which are designed to frictionally retain legs 94 and 96 in a stored position when such legs are not in use on bunk 48.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that this bunk construction has many advantages where efficient use of space in limited quarters is necessary. The entire tiered assembly, while sturdy for its intended purposes, is light enough so as to require very little effort to move it to and from its open position or to separate the bunks as desired. While separate uses of only bunk 42 and 48 have been described, it will be appreciated that bunk 44 can be as easily removed from the tiered assembly as 48 and that bunk 46 can also be removed by loosening the bolt 70 and rotating the bar 68 out of interference with the notches 32 and 34. In addition, a locking pin assembly 74 can be applied to bunk frame 46 so each bunk could be individually retained in a folded position if the others were removed from the tiered relationship. The seat 106, which can be stored against a wall when not in use, substantially increases the utility and comfort of bunk 42 as a seating unit and the combined use of bunks 42 and 48 as shown in FIG. 4 is not dissimilar to that of a picnic table arrangement. The table top 108 may also be imprinted with game boards 114 of any desired type.

It is submitted that the invention shown and described is aptly suited to achieve the purposes intended and is characterized by a combination of highly useful and mutually cooperating elements that combine their respective and proportionate functions in accomplishing the objects sought to be obtained.

It will be understood that the phraseology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not for limitation and that modifications and changes in the COIlStlfllC- tion and arrangement of this invention can be made within the scope of 'what is claimed, without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof. It is thus intended to cover by the claims, any modified forms of structure or mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a folding bunk construction, the combination of:

(a) \a pair of spaced vertical support members adapted to be secured to a wall or the like,

(b) a plurality of generally rectangular bunk frames each having an inner and outer frame side respectively,

(0) means on said support members for removably pivotally receiving the inner frame side of each bunk frame in a tiered relationship,

(d) spaced leg members pivotally attached to the outer frame side of each bunk frame and in depending relationship thereto,

(e) means on all outer frame sides below the uppermost bunk frame for removably securing and supporting the leg member from the adjacent upper bunk frame,

(f) said leg members on said lowermost bunk frame adapted to bear against a support such as a floor when said bunk frames are in open position,

(g) said bunk frames being movable in unison into an overlapping substantially parallel closed position adjacent said support members in response to upward movement of said lowermost bunk frame causing each inner frame side to rotate relative to said support members and each leg member to move transversely of the longitudinal axis of its respective outer frame side without becoming disengaged from the adjacent lower bunk frame to which it is attached, and

(h) releasable means on one of said bunk frames engageable with one of said leg members to prevent relative rotation between said outer frame side and said leg member attached thereto whereby movement of all of said bunk frames from closed to open position is prevented.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said leg members on the respective bunk frames and in corresponding positions are in vertical alignment, and including means on said respective outer frame sides acting upon said leg members to maintain such alignment.

'3. In a folding bunk construction, the combination of:

(a) a pair of spaced vertical support members adapted to be secured to a wall or the like,

(b) a plurality of generally rectangular bunk frames each having an inner and outer frame side respectively,

(c) means on said support members for removably pivotally receiving the inner frame side of each bunk frame in a tiered relationship,

(d) spaced leg members pivotally attached to the outer frame side of each bun'k frame and in depending relationship thereto,

(e) means on all outer frame sides below the uppermost bunk frame for removable interlocking engagement with the leg member from the adjacent upper bunk frame,

(1) said leg members on said lowermost bunk frame adapted to bear against a support such "as a floor when said bunk frames are in open position,

(g) said bunk frames being movable in unison into an overlapping substantially parallel closed position adjacent said support members in response to upward movement of said lowermost bunk frame causing each inner frame side to rotate relative to said support members and each leg member to which it is attached,

(h) releasable means on one of said bunk frames to prevent relative rotation between said outer frame side and the legs attached thereto whereby movement of all of said bunk frames from closed to open position is prevented,

(i) spaced leg supporting sockets depending from one E of said inner frame sides and disposed to respectively abut said support members in opposite directions of movement to prevent movement of said frame transversely of the longitudinal axes of said support members whereby all inner frame sides are similarly restricted due to the interlocking relationship of said bunk frames.

4. In a fol-ding bunk construction, the combination of (a) a pair of spaced vertical support members adapted to be secured to a wall or the like,

(b) a plurality 'of generally rectangular bunk frames each having an inner and outer frame side respectively,

(0) means on said support members for removably pivotally receiving the inner frame side of each bunk frame in a tiered relationship,

(d) spaced leg members pivotally attached to the outer frame side of each bunk frame and in' depending relationship thereto,

(e) means on all outer frame sides below the uppermost bunk frame for removable interlocking engagement :with the leg member from the adjacent upper bunk frame,

(f) said leg members on said lowermost bunk frame adapted to bear against a support such as a floor when said bunk frames are in open position,

(g) said bunk frames being movable in unison into an overlapping substantially parallel closed position adjacent said support members in response to upward movement of said lowermost bunk frame causing each inner frame side to rotate relative to said support members and each leg member to move transversely of the longitudinal axis of its respective outer frame side without becoming disengaged from the adjacent lower bunk frame to which it is attached,

(h) releasable means on one of said bunk frames to prevent relative rotation between said outer frame side and the legs attached thereto whereby movement of all of 'said bunk frames from closed to open position is prevented,

-(i) stop means secured to said outer frame side and adapted to act on said leg members to prevent movement of said leg members longitudinally of said outer frame side, and

(j) spaced stop means projecting perpendicularly from one of said inner frame sides and each respectively engageable in opposed directions of movement with one of said support members to prevent movement of said inner frame side transversely of the longitudinal axes of said support members in either longitudinal direction whereby all inner frame sides are similarly restricted due to the interlocking relation ship. of said bunk frames.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 714,495 Lesperance Nov. 25, 1902 1,169,157 Honold Jan. 25, 1916 2,473,364 Dickinson et al June 14, 1949 2,640,996 Davis June 9, 1953 2,708,755 Wilkinson May 24, 1955 2,953,792 Fleischer Sept. 27, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,482 Great Britain Feb. 12,1907

521,393 Canada I an. 31, 1956 205,845 Australia June 21, 1956 

1. IN A FOLDING BUNK CONSTRUCTION, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A PAIR OF SPACED VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A WALL OR THE LIKE, (B) A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BUNK FRAMES EACH HAVING AN INNER AND OUTER FRAME SIDE RESPECTIVELY, (C) MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS FOR REMOVABLY PIVOTALLY RECEIVING THE INNER FRAME SIDE OF EACH BUNK FRAME IN A TIERED RELATIONSHIP, (D) SPACED LEG MEMBERS PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE OUTER FRAME SIDE OF EACH BUNK FRAME AND IN DEPENDING RELATIONSHIP THERETO, (E) MEANS ON ALL OUTER FRAME SIDES BELOW THE UPPERMOST BUNK FRAME FOR REMOVABLY SECURING AND SUPPORTING THE LEG MEMBER FROM THE ADJACENT UPPER BUNK FRAME, (F) SAID LEG MEMBERS ON SAID LOWERMOST BUNK FRAME ADAPTED TO BEAR AGAINST A SUPPORT SUCH AS A FLOOR WHEN SAID BUNK FRAMES ARE IN OPEN POSITION, (G) SAID BUNK FRAMES BEING MOVABLE IN UNISON INTO AN OVERLAPPING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CLOSED POSITION ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IN RESPONSE TO UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LOWERMOST BUNK FRAME CAUSING EACH INNER FRAME SIDE TO ROTATE RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS AND EACH LEG MEMBER TO MOVE TRANSVERSELY OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF ITS RESPECTIVE OUTER FRAME SIDE WITHOUT BECOMING DISENGAGED FROM THE ADJACENT LOWER BUNK FRAME TO WHICH IT IS ATTACHED, AND (H) RELEASABLE MEANS ON ONE OF SAID BUNK FRAMES ENGAGEABLE WITH ONE OF SAID LEG MEMBERS TO PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID OUTER FRAME SIDE AND SAID LEG MEMBER ATTACHED THERETO WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF ALL OF SAID BUNK FRAMES FROM CLOSED TO OPEN POSITION IS PREVENTED. 